Searching the skies
by Willofhounds
Summary: Obi Wan Kenobi is a struggling Padawan. His darkness stems from the year of war he endured as a shadow pilot. When he returns to the temple he is all but broken. Refusing to talk to mind healers he struggles with the nightmares. As he fimishes the repairs on his ship a master confronts him. This master changes everything.
1. Chapter 1

Dooku's POV

Annoyance filled him but he didn't allow it to show on his aging face. The council once again wanted him to take a new Padawan. After his last failed attempt one would think they had learned their lesson.

The corridors of the temple were unsurprisingly empty. It was the middle of the day for initiates. Almost all students would be in class unless they were chosen. Those that weren't had the presence of mind to avoid him. However seeing two boys running down the hall surprised him.

Both looked to be about the age of twelve. One was in a flight suit given to fighter pilots to small craft. The other had an ear piece in for a comm device.

Dooku stepped aside to allow the boys to pass. He was vaguely interested to see where they were going. The pace they were going at spoke of urgency. His own trailed just enough to keep them in sight but not to be noticed.

As they drew closer to the hangers he frowned. Initiates were not allowed in ships. At that age they were barely old enough to be entering the simulations. The hanger in particular they entered was one rarely used. Mainly it was storage for damaged ships. Masking his force presence he entered behind them. As a pilot himself he was curious to see what the children were doing.

A large silver ship with a black wolf painted on the wing. It appeared to be an older model but in decent shape. There were several laser scars that he could see had been repaired. Whoever owned this thing was a skilled pilot and mechanic.

The boy in flight gear called out, "Oi, Obi Wan! We are here. What was the big emergency?"

Emergency? He didn't hear of anything. A sandy brown mop of hair appeared out of the cockpit. It was followed by a boy with blue grey eyes in a flight uniform. A patch on the uniform designated him the pilot. Same symbol as was on the wing.

The boy grinned though there was an underlying sadness in his eyes, "It's finally flyable."

The two other boys stilled in surprise. Even the force around them went still almost unnaturally so. Then it was gone with excited shouts.

"Really?! Have you tried taking it into the air yet? Is the fold systems online yet? What about the weapons and communication systems?"

The sandy haired boy let out a sharp whistle and both boys still again. The control this youngling had over the other two. What kind of friendship was this?

The boy sighed looking at the ship, "Vital systems are online such as the fold and communication systems. Weapons are not online as of yet I'm still working on them. It is enough for us to take off however."

The boy in the flight suit on the ground said, "Well let's get this show on the road. We probably have another hour before the masters notice our disappearance."

Oh really? How often did these children skip classes to play with this ship? Did they not care that masters wouldn't take them? It was time to end this.

He stepped out of the shadows and released his force presence. All three students turned to face him. The boy on the ship face darkened. There was something more to this one than the other two.

Dooku said sternly, "I believe that you three are supposed to be in class. What are your names?"

The one on the ship said darkly, "Initiate Obi Wan Kenobi, Garen Muln, and Reeft."

Kenobi? That name sounded familiar. The Force urged him towards the boy but he held off. The look in the boy's eyes said that he wouldn't be open to it.

The other boy said, "Obi Wan... it's okay. We don't have to argue with the Master."

Kenobi snarled his anger rumbling through the Force, "I don't need this Garen. You still have a chance to find a master. I'm never going to find one. Instead I'll return to the stars."

That expression he knew very well. Return to the stars was a saying only used by shadow pilots. As an extremely rare group of individuals he only encountered them once. They were in a trade dispute with a planet. Looking for a resource few had ever heard of. Protoculture.

Dooku said plainly, "A shadow pilot in the temple. Now isn't that a rare occurance."

The boy bared his teeth. The sigh of the wolf suddenly made more sense. His inner beast was that of a wolf. Shadow beasts in their own right were rare. Pilots that had such harmony with them even more so. Again the question came. The question entered his mind. Did this boy have a master. If not then how?

Dooku said calmly his eyes never leaving the pilot, "Your friend is right. Arguing with me would only make your situation worse."

The one with the communicator groaned, "Oh no."

The other boy groaned as well and both took large steps backwards. It was as if they were preparing to watch a fight. The Force trembled in warning. This boy was not to be taken lightly then.

The boy snarled, "Things couldn't get worse here. People believe I am broken. My men..."

The boy shook. Not with anger or fear but in self loathing. What happened to this boy?

Muln said gently, "Obi Wan... What happened to your squadron wasnt your fault."

The boy shook his head. It was obvious that he didn't believe the words. He jumped down from the ship and as he stood up he tapped his wrist against the hull. To Dooku's surprise the ship folded into itself. Eventually becoming a circular band on the boy's wrist. Then blue grey eyes turned to him.


	2. Bonds part 1

Obi Wan's POV

His cold blue eyes assessed the Jedi master in front of him. This man was not one he was familiar with. If Obi Wan had to guess he was roughly between forty and fifty. He held himself with distinction and if Obi Wan didn't know better the boy would say the man was a lord.

Obi Wan queried his eyes colder than ice, "What can I do for you, Master?"

The man's lips twitched slightly upward in amusement as he replied, "Master Dooku. You seem to have built yourself quite a ship there. It's a fighter class ship. I'm guessing with hyperdrive capabilities."

"And fold capabilities given its origins. They are similar but not quite the same thing."

He saw the eyes widen slightly before the mask was returned. Very few people knew what it meant when one said a ship had fold capabilities. It seemed he had come across one of the rare few.

For years he accepted that remaking the fold systems would be difficult. That had been the understatement of the century. His fold system had to be scrapped and rebuilt completely.

The next part had been how to hide the ship. If the council knew what he was up to they would try go stop him. Not that it would work. He had never been one to follow the restrictions. As a pilot his place was amongst the stars.

Creating his own inlay system had taken care of the problem. It allowed the ship to shrink into the form of a watch. With the help of some members of a less guild it was created tested and put to use.

Dooku said his eyes never leaving Obi Wan's, "Walk with me, youngling."

Having no reason to refuse the master he said to Reeft and Garen, "I'll catch up with you guys later. Reeft see if you can contact Fox. He should be in a nearby system."

Reeft nodded, "Of course, Obi Wan. Be safe."

He raised a hand in answer as he followed Dooku out. Now that they were alone he could feel his inner beast reacting. Shadow beasts were extraordinarily perceptive of all races. If one wanted to judge someone before getting to know them all they had to do was listen. So he did.

Normally around someone new or not in tune with the shadow his wolf reacted violently. It was not a social butterfly that Fox was.

With this man however Lupus was relaxed. The shadows around them were softer than normal. They didn't try to snap out at the master.

To one who listened to the shadows more than to words it was a sign. This man could be trusted. To a point at least.

Dooku stopped suddenly and Obi Wan followed suit. His blue gaze hard as he assessed the Jedi master. This man was certainly different from any of the others he encountered.

The man said in a low tenor that soothed the shadows, "You are certainly a rare one, youngling. I have been coming and going for these last few years. Mostly on missions as a chief negotiator. Sometimes for something a little more. I have seen you many times in my return visits. A boy with blue grey eyes haunted by his past. Have you not seen a mind healer?"

Obi Wan replied trying hard not to shrink in on himself at the thought, "Mind healers can't help with this. It is not just the mind that is damaged but an entire being. Something ingrained into my very soul. They tried and only made things worse."

Mind healers were not his favorite in the Order. He would rather deal with the council than a single mind healer. The council annoyed him more than most.

Dooku looked curious but nothing more. Finally the man said, "It is truly interesting that you have not been picked up by a master yet. Can I ask you why?"

Obi Wan answered his eyes growing colder than before, "They can't handle me, Master Dooku. A lost soul enshrouded by shadows as some say. I will likely be returning to my place in the stars by my birthday. The council knows that my place is not within the corps. Nor could anyone there hold me for long."

Dooku let out a hum before turning on his heel and began walking again. Obi Wan had to jog to keep up with the man's long strides. He had to wonder what was up with the strange questions.

They went down the halls through the different areas of the temple. As they came through the more used areas masters and initiates alike became more abundant. Some stopped to stare at the unlikely dou.

Most knew of Obi Wan and his dislike for masters. So seeing him chase after Dooki was a strange sight. They weren't at all surprised to see him in his flight suit however. That was something he rarely left without.

For the masters seeing an initiate chase after Dooku was strange. They knew the master had been pestered by the council to take a new padawan. No one actually thought he would take one. Much less the initiate that had so many issues.

It wasn't long before they stood before the council chambers. He asked slightly out of breath, "Why are we here? They already suspect what I have been up to."

Dooku turned as he replied in a stern voice, "I have little doubt that they nag you to find a master who understands you. One who knows the terribleness of war. That knows the pain that you hide deep within your heart. I too have been nagged for years in fact. They want me to take a padawan. I did as they asked and looked for. There wasn't one who met my qualities or age range. I prefer older initiates as they are more mature than their younger counterparts. They have hardened their hearts to childish ideals. At least some of them. I still found them lacking. Until I met you."

:Me?: came his confused thoughts.

The Force rang true with the man's words. He was not lying or exaggerating his claims.

Dooku continued his stern brown eyes softening just a fraction, "I have known war and pain. I lost most of my family when I was just a boy. I started my Jedi training later than most so I still remember my family and the horrors of war that stole them from me. I cannot promise to be soft on you. That is not within my nature. Nor can I promise to take away all your pain. I can promise to help you to the best of my abilities with the pains in your heart."

This man was not making empty promises. He was simply stating that he would help to the best of his ability. Obi Wan still had one concern.

"What about flying? I have my own ship and a duty to my men if it comes down to it. Though my bars saying Lieutenant Commander I am in fact the admiral of the STFW. There is just another in my stead who handles the politics."

Thank the Force for Fox. Without him Obi Wan would be lost. There was little more he hated than politics. That was never his game.

Dooku said contemplating the issue, "I've heard to the STFW crew. A group almost entirely made up of shadow pilots. From what I hear they come and then they are gone. Never allowing themselves to take credit for saving lives. A noble ambition to be apart of. I won't stop you from flying. That would be pointless but I will teach you how to navigate politics. How to be a skilled negotiator. In these unsettled times it might just come in handy. Even should you decide not to be a padawan."

Wait, padawan? Dooku wasn't just asking about a few weeks of training. He was asking without asking for Obi Wan to be his padawan.

The boy had been hurt too many times to just assume. He had to know for sure that was what the man was asking.

As if reading his thoughts the man inquired formally, "Obi Wan Kenobi, would you do me the honor of becoming my padawan?"

For a moment it seemed if time itself had stopped around them. He had a choice to make here. Take a chance the master. Or refuse and live out the last few weeks alone here at the temple. It was not a hard decision. This was the last chance he would give the masters of the temple.

Obi Wan gave a deep bow as he replied, "I would be honored to be your padawan, Master Dooku."

There was a quirk of the man's lips as if in an attempt to smile. It seemed they both did not wear their emotions on their sleeves.


	3. Bonds part 2

A/N thanks for your reviews and support.

MarauderPrime12: thanks for your review my friend. Hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Obi Wan's POV

Dooku led him into the Council's chamber. Obi Wan stood at ease in front of them. The masters watched him with varying degrees of wariness. Master Windu had a look of resignation.

Windu had spent the most time with him. The dark skinned master spent more time with him than any other master. He tried to help the young pilot and slowly Obi Wan had begun to open up to him. It wasn't enough to keep him in the temple. However he would give Dooku a chance.

Yoda said calmly, "Asked to speak to us, you did. Why?"

Dooku stated clearly, "I wish to take a padawan. The initiate in question has agreed."

There were quiet murmurings from the council. From Obi Wan's understanding this master didn't take padawan's often. The last known one was Master Qui Gon Jin.

It was Windu who spoke first, "Do you agree with this, Initiate Kenobi? Last we spoke you had given up all intentions of becoming a padawan and were waiting out your name day."

Dooku stiffened ever so slightly next to him. It was true that he had been waiting out the last few weeks. Most of it spent in Coruscant underbelly. Or in the hangers fixing up his Veritech.

Obi Wan sighed tiredly feeling ten times his actual age, "I was planning on that. The Force however decided another path for me. I choose to follow it for the moment."

Windu nodded. The others seemed to consider his words.

Then Yoda spoke, "Permission does the Council grant. Young Kenobi will be your Padawan. Your responsibility he now is."

Dooku bowed and said formally, "Then with your leave masters, we will retire."

Yoda waved them off but not before giving Obi Wan one last long look. Then the newly instated Master and Padawan left.

Obi Wan led his knew Master towards the initiate halls. He would have to pack up his room before he could move in. There wasn't much to pack up. A few star fighter models and his gear was all. When one had to be ready to leave at a moment's notice they packed light.

Arriving at his door he entered the passcode. The door whooshed open and he stepped in. Noting that the Jedi Master had not followed him he turned.

Dooku was waiting at the doorway and it took him a moment to realize why. He was waiting to be invited in. A courtesy rarely shown by anyone within the halls.

With a small smile he acknowledged the politeness, "Come in, Master Dooku. This wont take long."

The room was very bare for a preteen's room. The bed was made with military precision. The nightstand had a datapad with his school work on it. Obi Wan had a second with his combat works on it in the nightstand.

His first stop was the closet where he pulled out flight uniform and put in the bag. When he made to do the same with his robes Dooku stopped him.

"No need. The quartermaster will have them sent to our rooms."

That was something at least. The next thing was to go in was his watch. Unless he was doing repairs on the ship it stayed in this for.

A brief smile crossed his lips. On the STFW Obi Wan was notorious for doing his own repairs. Nathen the lead engineer couldn't stand it. That was why he came up with the watch configuration. Only the engineers knew how to fix it if something went wrong. Annoying but kept them from becoming obsolete.

The next things were his datapads. With them packed he had only one person item left. Over his bed was a singular photo. It was made using old technology but it was still worth a place in his heart.

A younger Obi Wan stood next to a brown grey haired man with warm brown eyes. It was when Obi Wan had become Commander of the K-9 squadron. The older man was Admiral Rick Hunter of the STF-1. He mentored Obi Wan when the young boy first came to the war.

It was one of the few good memories that wasn't ruined. He only had two pictures. One was in his room on the STFW. The other he was putting into his bag.

When he was done Dooku motioned for Obi Wan to follow. He was led down a series of familiar hallways to the hall where the Master's apartments lay. Some were single bedrooms. Others were doubles to account for padawan's.

They entered the apartment and Obi Wan could tell it was the latter. He was glad that he wouldn't be sleeping on a couch. Temple couches were extremely uncomfortable for the most part.

The living room and kitchen of the apartment were connect. Both were sparsely decorated but tastefully. Two doors could be seen from where he stood. One of them had to be Dooku's quarters. The other was either a spare bedroom or the refresher.

Dooku pulled off his robe and hung it up as he said, "Your bedroom is the second on the left. You will be required to keep it clean. The first is our shared refresher. You will help keep it clean or there will be consequences. I will teach you to cook and we can alternate nights when we are here. One cooks and the other cleans up."

Obi Wan replied switching to soldier brain as he hung up his own robe, "Understood, Master Dooku."

For him it was easier than breathing. Take orders give orders. A way of life only those who had seen war understood.

The man turned suddenly his brown eyes staring at him hard. Grey blue eyes stared back unflinching.

Dooku sighed sounding tired, "You do not need to be a soldier here, Kenobi. I hope to show you that there's more to your life than war."

Obi Wan shrugged, "Old habits die hard."

Dooku sighed but didnt respond any other way. Obi Wan followed him into the kitchen. Kitchen was a fairly quiet affair both of them were lost to their own thoughts. He took his leave to go to his room for the night. In doing so he missed the knowing look on his master's face.


	4. Bonds part 3

Obi Wan's POV

Dinner had been a quiet affair and after cleaning up Obi-Wan was sitting on the couch. His military datapad was in his hand as he went over reports. Reeft received a report sent from the STFW two days ago. They were in orbit of a system suspected of Invid activity. As of an hour, ago there wasnt anymore contact from the STFW.

Usually, no news was good news as there also had not been any word of a space battle. This did not ease the young man's worries about his crew. They were closer than any blood bonds. It was only together that they had survived. If they faltered on their teamwork for a second they would have died.

Pushing the thoughts away he went through the engineering reports. Progress was being made on a full ship shadow drive. It would give them an edge against the Invids. To be able to use a shadow drive from the main ship would save countless lives.

Currently, it was not yet operational. The engineering core believed that if given a few more weeks it would be ready for testing. They also stated a minimum of six shadow pilots would be needed to operate it. Less could be used but it would drain the pilots immensely. The more the better in this case.

Once the reports were done he moved onto the damage to his own ship. Weapons systems were still down as was the change system. Fold and communications were back online. Contact had been made directly with Grand Admiral Hunter who was happy to hear from them.

Rick never liked the Shadow Pilot program. He did everything within his power to make sure the pilots were free to do as they wished when the war was over. The problem was that the war never really ended. There were still Invids out there hunting those who used protoculture. All they could do was defend systems to the best of their ability.

Obi-Wan brought up a holographic image of his fighter. With a swipe of his hand, he expanded it out to see all the internal parts. From the latest scan, Reeft had done he could see the gears that needed replacing. They were burnt out by laser fire from his space battles. That was what was hindering the change system. He would need to replace the gears and the wirings.

His weapons systems needed total replacement. Rebuilding the laser system would take quite a bit of time. He didnt have the credits for the parts he needed. Options were trying to build it out of junk, racing for credits on his cyclone, or waiting for the next supply run.

Racing for credits would be the shortest but if he got caught he would be in a world of trouble. Junk parts would be a temporary fix but eventually, it would break down again. Supply runs only came every few cycles and were unpredictable. The best option would be to combine racing and junk parts for a patch job until Hunter could send the standard equipment.

A voice inquired from behind him, "What do you have there, youngling?"

Obi-Wan replied not looking up from the datapad, "Its the remaining things that need to be fixed on my fighter. Currently, the weapons and change systems are offline. The change system shouldn't be that difficult to fix. It's the weapon's system that I'm worried about. The parts arent easy to come by. I could do a patch job but that will only hold for so long."

"What are your options?"

Obi-Wan sighed, "Patch job, come up with the credits, or wait on the next supply shipment. Right now finding a way to come up with the credits seems like the best plan."

Dooku questioned sounding genuinely curious, "How do you plan on getting credit?"

Obi-Wan gave the barest of flinches as he murmured, "Racing most likely. Before you decided to take me on as your padawan that was how I got credits and kept my skills up on my cyclone. There are simulations for riding a cyclone but ita, not the same as actually using one."

That and all of his men thought he was insane when he rode a cyclone. He was the only one who would ride one without a helmet or combat jacket. What was the point after all? The jacket was heavy and disrupted his turns. The helmet obscured his view of his surroundings. Even with the force that could be fatal.

Looking back at his master he noted the amused and slightly intrigued look, "Are you any good? Normally I wouldn't condone it but such things are good for undercover work. Racing takes skill and faster reflexes than most padawans possess. Then again you are a combat pilot. That alone attests to your skills."

A small smile crossed his face as he said, "My cyclone is in the third hanger. You want to see?"

Dooku's POV

At first, there had been surprise and disbelief when Kenobi said that he raced for credits. Most races unless sanctioned by the government were illegal. Especially if the prize was a sizable amount. At twelve this child should not have the reflexes to race well enough to take on adults. Combat pilot or not.

So he agreed to see the other use his cyclone despite the late hour. To be honest he was curious to see what the machine was. He was slightly disappointed to find only what appeared to be a briefcase in the hanger. They had to use his clearance to get out onto the streets of Coruscant.

Following young Kenobi through the streets was enlightening. The boy was comfortable with the less suitable areas. He wouldn't want to find out that a child was in this area. No matter the reason. It was too likely that they would end up in one of the slave trader's hands.

Kenobi found an abandoned alley that would give him maneuverability. It was less space than Dooku was comfortable with but he kept his mouth shut. He was curious to see where this went.

To his surprise, much like the watch, the briefcase was a deception. How they managed to compact a bike that he would never understand. Once it was all folded out Kenobi began to check it over. He had to wonder if all shadow pilots were this meticulous. If so it was little wonder that they were as good as they were made out to be.

Kenobi said seemingly satisfied, "There. It seemed to be in working order. No leaks from the protoculture tank. I'm ready."


End file.
